(Radio Iowa) – J.D. Scholten, the Democrat running for Iowa’s fourth district congressional seat, says he’s hoping President Trump’s Covid diagnosis raises awareness about what health experts recommend to combat the spread of coronavirus. “First of all, my prayers go to the president and first lady and hoping for a speedy recovery,” Scholten says. “What it shows is this pandemic and this virus doesn’t discriminate.”

Scholten stops short of calling for a national mandate that everyone wear face coverings in public, but Scholten says he’s hoping the president’s case raises awareness about the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. “I think there should be a national plan. I mean we were all willing to commit in March to stay home and there was never that next step,” Scholten says, “and so we have this ‘one foot in, one foot out’ approach that just continues to prolongs it.”

Scholten says the next coronavirus relief package should include funding for more robust testing as well as grants for small businesses and biofuels plants. Scholten made his comments this weekend on the “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S. He faces Republican nominee Randy Feenstra of Hull in this year’s General Election. Scholten came within three points of defeating Republican Congressman Steve King in 2018.